and
thus afforded us a momentary respite. But we well knew that it was only
momentary, and that in their present state of mind, these men would
dispatch us with as little scruple as they would mischievous wild beasts
hunted and brought to bay.

"Nothing now remains," said Morton, "but to die courageously: we have
done every thing else that we could do."

"It does appear to have come to that at last," said Arthur. "If I did
unwisely in advising resistance, and perilling your lives as well as my
own, I now ask your forgiveness; on my own account I do not regret it."

"There is nothing to forgive," answered Morton, "you did what you
believed was right, and if I counselled otherwise, you will do me the
justice to believe that it was because I differed with you in judgment,
and not because I shrunk from the consequences."

"I never did you the injustice to think otherwise," answered Arthur.

"If our friends could but know what has become of us," said Max,
brushing away a tear, "and how we died here, fighting manfully to the
last, I should feel more entirely resigned; but I cannot bear to think
that our fate will never be known."

"Here they come once more," said Arthur, as the savages, having now
obtained their weapons, advanced to finish their work, "and now, may God
have mercy upon us!"

We all joined devoutly in Arthur's prayer, for we believed that death
was at hand. We then grasped our weapons, and stood ready for the
attack.

At this instant a long and joyous cry from Eiulo reached our ears. For
several minutes he had been eluding the pursuit of Atollo with a
wonderful agility, partly the effect of frantic dread. Just when it
seemed as though he could no longer escape, he suddenly uttered this
cry, repeating the words, "Wakatta! Wakatta!"--then springing to the
ground, he ran towards the brook, but was intercepted and seized by one
of the savages below.

There was an immediate answer to Eiulo's cry, in one of the deepest and
most powerful voices I had ever heard, and which seemed to come from the
west shore of the stream. Looking in that direction I saw, and
recognised at once, the lion-like old man, who had fled along the beach,
pursued by Atollo and his party. Several men, apparently his followers,
stood around him. He now bounded across the stream, towards the spot
where Eiulo was still struggling with his captor, and calling loudly for
help.

Atollo instantly sprang to the ground, and flew to